Hello, I am on a sit and read they have outside cameras but not pointing inside.
Well I see a camera in the kitchen and one in the lanai. The kitchen one has blue lights on so I am assuming I am being recorded.
I’m not sure what to do. I have nothing to hide and not doing anything wrong but I am uncomfortable with it and not sure how to even ask homeowner. I am there first sitter on this site.
Are you sure it is a camera and not a motion detector for a burglar alarm? I would take a photo and ask here or as Google Lens what it is. You can also download an app such as Fing to detect devices
If it is a camera, I would unplug it. Internal cameras are not permitted. If the homeowner comments on it being disconnected, you can explain the rule. Please also mention it in the review and deduct stars for accuracy of listing if no cameras are disclosed in the Amenities section.
It is a ring camera. I climbed on the cupboard and unplugged it. Now i guess I wait to see if they respond asking why it’s unplugged?
Now I’m paranoid they may have more inside cameras??
Just message the owners and ask them about the cameras. Maybe they forgot to turn them off. Tell them that you feel uncomfortable with them being on and can’t relax feeling like you are being watched 24/7.
Most homeowners will understand. If not you can cancel because it’s against THS
If they are cameras, ask them how you can connect to them, so you can check on the animals when you go out. Just turn them off when in the house.
They probably forgot that they were on, hopefully. Regardless, don’t sleep in your birthday suit.
You could use a networking tool such as Fing to scan the network and see what devices there are. it’s pretty easy to use and it’s generally good at identifying the type of device it finds.
Security system motion detectors have been confused for cameras in previous posts. They change colour even when the system is not activated.
As a sitter, I am not sure if the only way hosts are made aware of the various rules, such as no third parties, no cameras, is by reading the terms and conditions–which many people do not read here or on most sites–or if THS provides this information elsewhere.
Of course, even with being unaware of the rule, having the cameras on while the sitter is there is not cool, but they may not know they are breaking a rule. Or it is possible they just forgot to turn them off.
My point in saying these things is I don’t think it is fair to automatically mark them down for anything, or imply they knowingly violated the terms and conditions, when you don’t know that is the case for sure. Of course it may be, but again, you don’t know. I am sure sitters would want hosts to extend the same courtesy in an equivalent scenario.
If I were in this position, I would turn off the cameras as you have done and I would let them know I did so, giving them the benefit of the doubt that it was not intentional.
And in the unlikely scenario they pushed back on this, you have the ‘rules’ of the site on your side, and if based on anything they said, you got the sense it was intentional that they left them on, you can address that in your review.
Wait and see if they comment about you unplugging it. If they do then they deliberately left it on and you should mention the camera in the Review.
I would ask the homeowner about it so you can turn off. Maybe they can shut off remotely or you can turn off or unplug. No cameras in the home per THS terms. Outside cameras are ok.
Unplug them, if the HO complain than send them the policy! It is clear as a HO that internal cameras are not allowed, so if they are there (and it wasn’t just a sorry we forgot to turn them off, please go ahead and do so) then it is against the rules of the platform and should be reported.
They do have security camera checked and as I stated above it said cameras are to the outside not inside.
I think it’s a problem that the list of amenities just says ‘security cameras’ instead of specifying outdoor cameras. Although I’ve seen some listings that just say security cameras, and some that also indicate it’s an external camera, so I’m not clear what the options are for hosts. Most people don’t fully read T&Cs. That checkbox would be a good place for THS to make clear that only outdoor cameras are permitted. I would like to see two checkboxes that are required, one for outdoor cameras and one to disclose indoor cameras and indicate that they will be disabled for the duration of the sit. Most of the sits I’ve done with cameras have not disclosed them (including external cameras). That’s why I think there should be a required checkbox to indicate yes/no to cameras and whether they are internal or external.
Agreed. Even if the home owner is aware, it’s easily forgotten in the rush of getting ready to leave. Generally speaking I tend to assume good intentions rather than malice, unless malice was already evident.
Hi @Ybrik
I’m really sorry to hear about this.
As others have confirmed (thanks, everyone!), internal cameras must be switched off for the duration of a stay.
You’re more than welcome to reach out to Membership Services for support, or if you’ve already reached out and are waiting to hear back, the Forum team can give them a nudge.
Jenny
@Ybrik, we’d agree with some earlier comments. We’ve come across this too. We’d like to think that policy breaches are accidental by pet parent, but this may not always be the case. To our knowledge, THS neither enforces its Internal Cameras & Recording Devices policy nor defines the term ‘recording device’.
I prefer not to touch the device and put something in front blocking the view. When I leave, I put everything back in place.
The problem with that is that most cameras also have audio, it’s not just about video. The reason cameras are such a big concern for me is that I work remotely and I have a lot of zoom meetings. I have to be certain that there are no devices that could be listening in or recording. Aside from work, I should be able to have private conversations. I’m actually just leaning towards not sitting anymore because if I can’t have privacy to work and to talk with family or friends while I’m traveling, it’s just not a reasonable exchange to me.
